How Did the Three Smedley Brothers Get to Australia in the Mid Nineteenth Cen?

[andycadman]

It would be appreciated if someone could help me find out more about three brothers’s who emigrated to Australia probably between 1851 and 1861.  They are the brothers of my second great grandfather Harry Smedley who stayed behind in England.  Their names are:

William Smedley born 1831 in Ashby de la Zouch, Leics. Died abt. 1893 at Omigal, NSW, Australia
Samuel Young Smedley born 16 Jan 1833 in Ashby de la Zouch. Died 21 Jun 1920 at Stockinbingal, NSW, Australia. ( He led a very colourful life marrying once in the UK and three times in Australia)
Thomas Smedley born 18 Sep 1834 in Ashby de la Zouch, Leics  and died 1866 at Braidwood, NSW, Australia

All were on the 1851 census of Ashby de la Zouch.
I have been unable to find any of them on the 1861 census.

I know quite a bit about Samuel Young Smedley and Thomas Smedley after their arrival in Australia.

I know very little about William Smedley’s life in Australia. I know that he married but I do not know the name or anything about the person he married or if he had any children. If any one could help here it would be appreciated.

I know that they probably went to Australia to join their  cousin Samuel Smedley (born about 1807 in Nottingham) who emigrated  to Australia in the 1840’s.

If anyone can help me to find out more about their journey to, when they arrived in Australia and give me some information about the voyage it would be very helpful.

Thank you in anticipation

[trish251]

Hi Andy

Your posting caught my notice because my Grandmother worked at Geraldra Station, Stockinbingal in the early years of the 20th Century. I know she was there in 1911, but had left by 1922 (she was born in 1891 so a little younger than your folk - perhaps she knew some of the children of Samuel?). I have a collection of photographs/postcards from her early years so will check for any Smedleys.

Did you know the NSW bdm records are online at www.bdm.nsw.gov.au (follow the family history link). If you get a copy of a death certificate it should tell you the number of years spent in Australia (if the informant knew) which can give a likely time for arrival here. The cheapest option for this is via a transcription service - also detailed on the bdm site.

There is a record for William - father Thomas - death registered in 1892 District Wellington. Is Omigal part of Wellington? Wellington(Town) is in Western NSW between Dubbo and Orange - and I've just found that Ironbark is nearby - so that probably is your death record. I found 1 reference to Omigal via Google - it appears to be Goldrush country - 400km NW of Sydney. Also near Ironbark of AB (Banjo) Paterson fame.
http://www.stuarttown.org.au/

(And I thought I knew the geography of NSW).

If your brothers spent their lives in Western NSW, local archives and newpaper records may well contain information on them, but there is little on the internet. Some emails to the local councils may help - this is the link to the Wellington library
http://www.wellington.nsw.gov.au/eservice/navigation.jsp

The unassisted migrants have mention of a William and Samuel in 1855 - but age is given as C - I cannot find a code list - but C could mean child.
http://proarchives.imagineering.com.au/index_search.asp?searchid=23

I can't find them on the NSW assisted immigrant list (and I don't think any NSW unassisted are online.) The archives site is
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/ - I'm in Qld, so unlikely to get to the NSW archives. The NSW shipping gazette is online 1845-1855 - but no indexes - took me forever to go through looking for one of my family on a ship (and I still haven't found same).
http://www.nla.gov.au/ferg/issn/14403897.html

Trish

[moscan]

Wow Trish,

Thanks for all those links. I have just found a whole other line that left Ireland for Australia and these links will help fill in some of the gaps that we have been sent.. I really appreciated the links and your knowledge..

Best wishes

Mo

[andycadman]

Many, many   thanks for your help Trish. Really appreciated.

The copy of William Smedley’s death certificate does not give any helpful details:
William emmigrated to Australia sometime after the 1851 census was taken at Ashby.  He died aged 62 years at Omigal, near Wellington, NSW, Australia.  His occupation was a butcher.  Death certificate states that he had been married in England, wife unknown.  Death was certified by his niece Lucinda Medway (nee Smedley) daughter of William's brother Samuel Young Smedley. So perhaps he married in England so far I have been unsuccessful in tracing any details. I would really like to find out who he married and if he had any children.

They were involved in the “Goldrush” and I have several colourful letters written from that area to their father (William) in England – but they give me very little information about William (The son in Australia).

I will keep trying but if anyone can help me find out how the three brothers got to Australia, probably sometime between 1851 and 1861 it would be really appreciated

[trish251]

Hi Andy

Sorry I wasn't more help - If I find any more info when in NSW I will pass it on. They seem to have been a most interesting family.

Hi Mo

Glad it helped you find some family - now if we could just find the Smedley ship!

Trish

[andycadman]

They sure were a fascinating family and if any one can help me find out more it would be really appreciated.

Andy

[Sarco]

Hello Andy, old post I know but I see that you are still active on Rootschat.

I'm wondering if you ever found details of the brothers' emmigration to Australia? During my own family research I came across Samuel Young SMEDLEY and his family in the Temora district of NSW. As it happened, I was looking for my mother's family, not my father's!

In the PRs for St Paul's Temora I found the baptism of Reginald Victor s/o Emma SMEDLEY of Stockinbingal born 14 Mar 1900 bap. 2 May 1900. Intrigued, I started hunting her and her antecedents through the paperwork. Interesting family, as you say.

We could still be related as I see that you trace back to Robert SMEADLIE of Wilne m. Phillipa TURNER 2 Sep. 1606. He is a strong candidate for me but the 17th century links are sometimes hard/impossible to confirm. My Smedleys ended up in Sawley DBY.

Cheers

Darryl Smedley
Sydney Australia

[andycadman]

Like you I have been searching to some time to find the route by which Samuel Young, Thomas and William got to Australia, but so far without success.  Like you I think they may have got to Australia by a more indirect route, possibly as you suggest via the USA. So far like you I have drawn a blank, but one day . . . .
I have searched every Smedley I could find in ancestry’s shipping to Australia and other sources and have always come up with nothing. For some reason there was not a single ship listed from America all from England and my hunch is that they may have got to Australia via America.
Andy

[Viktoria]

You can search and you will find what ship they sailed on, the ship`s log and who was born and died on the voyage.
It does depend rather on whether they paid towards their passage though.
Search for passenger lists of sailings to N.S.W and you will be surprised and also you can find where they were buried and sometimes even  photographs of their  graves. I found all that out too.
My G.grandmother`s six brothers all sailed in 1855 and subsequent years and settled in Bathurst and Sofala the gold rush towns.Lots of photographs to see.
Good luck and happy hunting. Viktoria.